Best Skirting Board Paint Reviewed 2021

When it comes to home decoration and renovations, one of the most obvious things you can do to breathe new life into rooms is by freshening up the walls. However, you could have the most beautifully painted walls ever seen be brought down by skirting boards that are worn out. It’s surprising that a small strip of wood around the bottom of the wall could affect the look of a room so much, but skirting boards really finish things off.

Skirting boards, sometimes referred to as mopboards or baseboards, perform a simple but important role in both complementing and helping to accentuate the lines and colour of walls and flooring, but also have the practical function of protecting the lower part of the wall. Whether it’s errant feet, mops or brushes, skirting boards help prevent those hard-to-reach areas between wall and floor clean.

Naturally, skirting boards themselves need some love and attention to make sure that they fit the aesthetic of your room and keep up that protection. When it comes to skirting board paints, there are a few different options that offer up the hardiness and long life necessary. Read on for our lowdown of the best options out there.

Rainbow The One Multi Purpose

Aiming to provide an all-in-one solution to your painting needs, the aptly-named The One from Rainbow Paints is a solid choice for an all-round decorating solution. It’s available in 10 different colours, with bold yet understated shades that are sure to complement any room.

Key to the One’s appeal it the combination of paint and primer in the one tin, meaning that once your skirting boards are prepared to be painted, you should only need the one coat of this. Its thick and hard-wearing consistency makes it suitable for the potentially high-traffic area at the base of walls. Additionally, the water-based solution makes cleaning your brushes/rollers in warm water a breeze. A VOC-free (Volatile Organic Compound) formula also ensures no nasty paint smells and keeps it environmentally sound, and with a quick drying time, you’ll be ready to move onto the next part of your decorating in no time.

Johnstone’s Quick Dry Interior Wood and Metal

Available in 10 different shades, this quick drying offering from Johnstone’s aims to be a versatile choice for many household applications including the skirting boards. The colour selection is sure to offer up the right balance with the rest of your room’s scheme, with the satin finish giving some subtle shine and class.

This quick-dry formula, which is water-based, takes a lot of the time out of the process of painting the skirting boards, so even if a couple of coats are needed you’re never going to be waiting more than a couple of hours between coats. A water base also makes it straightforward to clean the inevitable scuff marks from shoes. The paint itself is hard-wearing and resistant to yellowing, perfect for resisting stubbed toes on the boards and ensuring it’ll keep your skirting looking beautiful for years.

Dulux Non Drip High Sheen Gloss

Nothing beats shine for bringing more light into a room, and that’s where Dulux’s Non Drip Gloss comes into its own. The high sheen formula is specifically designed to brighten, and on skirting boards prevents those corners from becoming shadowy and dusty. A non-drip formula also makes it super straightforward to work with and makes it easy to keep things clean.

A versatile paint for many applications around the house, Dulux designed this paint to be long-lasting and easy to use. As well as being non-drip, the paint is ‘self-undercoating’ which takes steps out of the painting process. With a long life guaranteed, this high sheen gloss from Dulux is sure to keep your skirting boards looking smart and shiny for years to come.

Ronseal Ultra Tough Matt Paint

The classic adage from Ronseal is very much evident here, with this super hard-wearing household paint. It meets the needs of skirting board paint in two key areas; it’s ultra tough and will take all the scuffs, scraped furniture and knocks from mops and vacuum cleaners that you can throw at it, and stays white throughout without yellowing.

The formula for this paint has been designed with primer and paint combined, allowing you to paint directly onto your skirting boards once cleaned and prepared. It’s also available in a couple of different finishes, whether you’re aiming for a more subtle matt finish or a bolder satin look. It’s also touch-dry in only a couple of hours, taking a lot of time out of the job.

Dulux Quick Dry Satinwood

This quick-drying formula from Dulux is a very versatile paint aiming to take the hassle out of brightening up your skirting boards. The satinwood finish offers up a smart, classy finish sitting between matt and glossy shades, helping light up your living spaces without being ostentatious.

The paint itself is a water-based formula, with multiple advantages. Firstly, it’s quick to dry (as the name suggests) and is fully dry in 6 hours, but touch dry in just one. Water-based paints are also low-odour, and Dulux designed this to be non-drip for the greatest ease in painting. Paints with water bases are also easy to clean; the painted surface can be wiped off, while the brushes usually just need warm water. This also promises long-lasting protection, so painting your skirting boards doesn’t have to be a regular job.

Which Skirting Board Paint To Go For?

Painting your skirting boards is an important thing to put a cherry on top of an already well-decorated room. It’s important to choose the right one to make sure you’re getting the right finish, something that cleans easily as well and ultimately offers a paintjob that will last. If you’re still not quite sure what to go for from our reviews, here’s a roundup of the best overall as well as the best value.

Best Skirting Board Paint – The Ronseal Ultra Tough Matt Paint is surely the best paint for the job, thanks to its ultra long life and tough protection. Skirting boards are prone to scuffs and dirt, but the Ultra Tough can stand up to these no problem, and with a nice finish to really enhance a room, allows you to paint and forget (for 10 years, at least).

Best Value – Johnstone’s Quick Dry Interior Wood and Metal stands up as the best value offering for painting your skirting boards. Put simply, it’s available in larger quantities for the same, if not lower, price than its competitors but has the quality to boot.

Skirting Board Paint FAQ